Electrical cut-out



' April 3, 1934.

G. F. LINCKS El AL 53,812

ELECTRICAL CUT-OUT Filed May 5, 1932 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n F gl Inventors George Flincks Tran is L. Flanagan,

64k- Their Attorney April 3, 1934- G. F. LINCKS ET AL 1,953,812

ELECTRICAL CUT-OUT Illlh Inventors: Geowge E Lincks, Fr'ancis LFlanagan,

5 M447 m The-h" Attom'leg. V

} circuit. leads 11 are connected respectively to oppositely Patented Apr. 3, 1934 ELECTRICAL CUT-OUT George F. Lincks and Francis L. Flanagan, Pittsfleld, Mass assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1932, Serial No. 609,467

6 Claims. (Cl. 20050) The invention relatesto electrical cutouts, and outs through theapertures in the bosses 4, as more particularly to groups of oil cutouts used shown in Fig. 1, a fluid-tight joint being formed to protect the severalphases of an electrical by the glands 9 and sealing compound 10. The

If it becomes necessary to make repairs on disposed contacts or circuit terminals 12 which go the circuit or apparatus protected by an oil cutare fastened insulatively to the casing 1. The out, it is common practice to open the circuit circuit is completed through the cutouts by by removing the fuse carrier from each of the means of a fuse 13 connected to the contacts or cutouts, or by turning the several fuse carriers terminals 14, mounted on rotatable and removto a position where the terminals thereof no able carriers 15 and adapted to engage the cir- 5 longer engage or make contact with the respeccuit terminals 12 when the carriers are inserted tive circuit terminals. Heretofore, such a methinto the casings 1 thro h apertures 5 and .0d of interruption necessitated the breaking of turned to the position shown.

the circuit by steps, that is by opening one leg The fuse carriers 15 comprise metallic head 15 or phase at a time, as each cutout was installed caps or covers 16 and projecting members 1'? 7 as a separate individual unit, having no conmounted therein, the latter being of insulating nection whatsoever with the other cutouts. material such as oil treated wood, molded com- Opening the circuit in such a manner may cause pound or the like. The caps 16 are provided an unbalancing of the load or throw an overwith descending flanges 18 which fit about the 20 load on the conductors still in closed circuit, annular and upwardly projecting flanges 19 of 1 which may-cause eithera blowing of the fuses the casing to! pa y 0 P d in the closed cutouts or cause a large arc to with two oppositely-disposed bayonet lugs 20, be drawn when they are opened. which slide downwardly through slots 21, cut

The object of the invention is the provision from or formed in the side wall 22 of the cen- 25 of means for interlocking the fuse carriers of, tral apertures 5, until they clear the side walls a series of cutouts in the several phases of a 22, whereupon the carrier is rotated until the circuit in such a manner that the opening of faces 'of contacts 14 are in full electrical enone phase of the circuit by rotating or movgagement with the faces of contacts 12, the lugs ing the fuse carrier in any one cutout will sirn- 20 cooperating with the lower edge of the anilarly and simultaneously rotate or move the fuse nular walls forming the apertures 5 to lock the 5 carrier of each of the other cutouts. Carriers in the cutouts.

A better understanding of the invention may Removal Of the carriers 15 from the 0881888 1 be had by explaining it in conjunction with the requires that they be turned with respect to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one emcasings until the lugs 20 register with the slots bodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 is an eleva- 21. This rotation moves the contacts 14 around tion showing the invention as applied to two and out of contact with the contacts 12, thus subway cutouts, one of which is shown partly breaking the electrical circuit through the cutin section; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; outs. As the contacts 12 and 14 are submerged Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken through in oil, it is evident that if the carriers in the o 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the safety latch; group of cutouts can be simultaneously oper- Fig. 4 is an elevation of a three phase cutout ated, they may be used as an effective and safe partly in section; Fig. 5 is a top plan view and polyphase switch for opening or closing the cir- Fig. 6 is an end view. cult.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the casing 1 of When the fuse carriers 15 are in the casings,

the cutout shown consists of a lower cup-shaped they are further clamped tightly in position by member or tank 2, threaded into the cored-out the set screws 24 in the yokes 23 which are pivtop part 3, which is provided with two oppootally mounted in the lugs 25 on the top part of sitely disposed and downwardly projecting bosses the casing.

4, a centrally disposed top aperture 5, and a According to the invention, a pinion gear, or

50 hanger 6 by which the cutout may be attached as illustrated, a segment of a pinion gear 26, is

to a wall or other support. secured to the cap 16 of each fuse carrier 15 as The lead sheath coverings of the cables are by bolts, the periphery of the gear being disposed connected to the sleeves 8 by a wiped Joint, or concentrically with relation to the axis of rotaother means, and the conductors of the cables tion of the carrier to which it is attached. The

55 are connected to leads 11 which enter the cutteeth of the pinions 28 mesh with the teeth of ing as a cover for the three cutouts.

a rack gear 27 held slidably in position by guides 28 bolted to the ends of the several hangers 6. The guides 28 are provided with aligned slots into which the rack freely fits, it being held in place by plates 29 bolted to the tops ofthe guides.

By so interconnecting the separate fuse carriers, the turning of one fuse carrier 15 or the moving of the rack 27 simultaneously turns all of the other fuse carriers, and thus simultaneously opens or closes the several phases of the circuit protected by the group of cutouts.

As a further protection, safety latches or locking devices 30 are provided, and so arranged. as shown in Fig. 2, that removal of any yoke 23 is prevented when the cutouts are in closed circuit position or movement of the rack to close the cutouts is prevented if one of the yokes is not in its proper or normal position.

The safety locking devices comprise latches 31 mounted in guides 32, fastened to one of each pair of lugs 25, the latches being biased away from the rack gear 27 by springs 33 abutting against annular heads 34 mounted on the rear ends 35 of the latches.

The latches 31 are of such length that they bridge the space between the lower cam-shaped ends of theyokes 23 and the rack gear '27, and

thus whenever all of the fuse carriers are in closed position, and the teeth of the rack 27 are not adjacent to the ends of the latches 31. theyokes 23 are held in position over the fuse carriers, but when all the fuse'carriers are in open position the teeth spaces on the rack gear are then in positions adjacent to the ends of the latches which permits any one or all of the yokes to be pulled forward, the cam-shaped ends 36 of the yokes forcing the latches into the spaces between the rackteeth which prevents any movement of the rack 27 and the turning of the unremoved fuse carriers 15 to closed circuit po--' sition.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, in which is illustrated an arrangement of three cutouts'for a three phase circuit with a single casting 37 serv- Obviously this cover might also consist of three separate castings or parts bolted, welded or similarly fastened together to form the single casting 37.

The three tanks 38, 39 and 40 are all threaded into the casting or cover 37. With this arrange ment the pinions 26' and rack 27' can be enclosed within the casing. This eliminates the difficulties experienced with exposure of the pinions and rack to atmospheric conditions. The formation of ice on the pinions and rack is especially undesirable because it may cause them to stick. The pinions 26 are secured adjacent openings 41 in the cover 37 through which the fuse carriers 15 are inserted by means of clamping rings 42 which are secured to annular projections 43 on the cover 37 by screws 44. Pinions 26' are provided with slots 45 engagiz g" the bayonet lugs 20 to rotate the fuse carrier 15 when the rack 27 is oscillated. The fuse carriers 15 and the cooperating contacts and supports are the same as shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. Barriers 46 are provided between adjacent cutouts. Each cutout is provided with a separate vent 47. Each cutout is provided with a wiping sleeve 8 for making connections to a lead sheathed cable on one side and r comprising a housing, a plurality of fuse carriers located in said housing, means to move one fuse carrier to close a circuit through one phase, means for simultaneously moving the other fuse carriers to complete the circuit through the corresponding phases including a pinion connected to each fuse carrier and a rack engaging said pinions, and means to prevent the movement of one fuse carrier to close the circuit when one of the fuse carriers has been removed.

3. In combination, a plurality of cut-outs adapted to be connected in an electrical circuit, a fuse carrier for each cut-out, means interconnecting said fuse carriers whereby movement of one causes simultaneous movement of the other, and means to prevent the movement of one fuse carrier when another fuse carrier is removed from the cut-out. I v

4. In combination, a plurality of cut-outs adapted to be connected in an electric circuit, a rotatable fuse carrier provided for each cut-out, means interconnecting said fuse carriers to cause simultaneous movement, means to prevent the movement of one fuse carrier when another fuse carrier has been removed from the cut-out, and means to prevent the removal .of a fuse carrier from its cut-out when it is connected in the electric' circuit.

5. In combination, a plurality of cut-outs adapted to be connected in an electric circuit, a rotatable fusecarrier provided for each cut-out, a pinion connected to each fuse carrier, a rack engaging each pinion to move the fuse carriers simultaneously, and a safety lock adapted to engage the rack and prevent movement of the fuse carriers when one fuse carrier has been removed from its cut-out.

6. In combination, a plurality of cut-outs adapted to be connected in an electric circuit, a rotatable fuse carrier provided for each cut-out, a pinion connected to each fuse carrier, a rack engaging each pinion to move the fuse carriers simultaneously, and a safety lock adapted to engage the rack and to prevent movement of the fuce carriers when one fuse carrier has been removed from its cut-out and to prevent the removal of a fuse carrier from the cut-out when it is connected in theelectricicircuit.

GEORGE F. LINCKS. FRANCIS L. FLANAGAN. 

